Business

The owner of the Li’l Country Store on Pipers Gap Road has announced it will be closing down.

The store has been locally owned and operated as a convenience stop in the community for 44 years as of March 1, according to owner Nancy Parks.

The store is well known for its wide variety of inventory, ranging from groceries to tools and appliances. Alongside convenience items, the store also has a deli that serves sandwiches, beverages and other foods.

HILLSVILLE — The Carroll County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) passed a resolution Monday afternoon to sell a parcel of land located near the old Andrews Farming building in the Carroll County Industrial Park.

The motion to approve this resolution, made by IDA Member Richard Sowers, was seconded by IDA Member Larry Chambers, carrying a unanimous 7-0 vote by the council.

The 8.8 acres of land were sold to Donald and Unella Branscome for $90,200, and reportedly will be used to construct an office and machine shop, and for other business purposes.

HILLSVILLE — Nuckolls Drug Company, a local pharmacy serving the Carroll County community for over a century, will be expanding its business into the old Bank of Floyd building, located at 185 South Main Street in Hillsville.

The store has been in the Nuckolls family since 1896 and serves an average of approximately 3,000 customers annually in Carroll County.

After about five years of service, Scoots, located in downtown Galax, is closing. Its last day of operation will be Saturday, according to Larry Brannock, operator of Scoots and former member of the Grayson County Sheriff’s Department.

He, along with his wife, former Twin County Regional Chamber of Commerce director Judy Brannock, have owned and run the Main Street restaurant, which offered dine-in lunch and dinner as well as catering; but now they’ve decided to step back and focus on retirement and family.

The Rite-Aid in Galax will become a Walgreens on Dec. 13, according to a company spokesman.

Walgreens’ Director of External Communications Jim Cohn fielded questions by phone about the change of ownership taking place next week. In September, a deal was struck for Walgreens to purchase 1,932 Rite-Aid stores across the country for $4.4 billion. Rite-Aid will still own a little over half of its stores.

MOUTH OF WILSON – In the rural high country of western Grayson County, the earth trembles under the wheels of farm vehicles pulling loads of produce out of the fields, to one of several loading areas. From there, “big rigs” are hauling load after load of seasonal stuff to markets.

It started in October, when huge cardboard boxes of pumpkins rumbled towards town.

HILLSVILLE – Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe joined Carroll County officials Thursday in an economic development announcement that will lead to 33 new jobs.

McAuliffe, joined by Dr. Basil Gooden, agriculture and forestry secretary, announced that Virginia Produce Company (VPC) will create 33 new jobs and invest $650,000 to support a major expansion at its produce wholesale facility in the Carroll County Industrial Park.